The Government has just issued Decree No. 18/2025/ND-CP dated 8.2.2025 detailing a number of articles of the Electricity Law related to electricity purchase and purchase activities and situations to ensure electricity supply.
The Decree stated that the electricity buyer is the electricity user with an average electricity consumption of 1,000,000 kWh/month or more according to the registration of the electricity purchase contract, which is responsible for implementing the actual security measure. Existing contracts before the electricity purchase contract is valid.
In case the average electricity consumption is registered at the electricity purchase contract lower than this level, but the actual electricity consumption output is the last 12 months from 1,000,000 kWh/month or more, the buyer has the electricity. The responsibility to coordinate with the electricity seller amended and supplemented the signed electricity purchase contract.
This is to supplement the content of the contract performance and the implementation of the contract performance ensures the contract before the modification and supplementation takes effect.
Every year, the electricity seller and the buyer agree on the value to ensure the contract is consistent with the average electricity output used in practice in the previous 12 months.
The value guarantees the implementation of the contract is agreed by the electricity buyers and the electricity seller within the value range of 10 to 15 days of electricity bills, calculated based on the average monthly electricity consumption in the electricity purchase or actual electricity consumption contract, the average of the last 12 months and the normal hour electricity price is applied.
Measures, forms, and validity of guarantees, rights and obligations in ensuring contracts signed by specific parties in electricity purchase contracts; encourage the implementation of guarantee measures via banks.
According to the Decree, for the electricity and sale of electricity used for daily -life purposes, the electricity seller records the electricity measurement index once a month on the set day by the two parties agreed in the electricity contract, except for the case Force majeure is at risk of unsafe for employees specified in electricity purchase and sale contracts.
Allows shifting the time to record the electricity measurement index before or after 1 day compared to the set date or shift according to the agreement in the electricity purchase contract.
For electricity and sale of electricity used in addition to living purposes, the electricity buyer and the seller are allowed to agree on the number of electricity measurements in the month.
In case the two parties cannot agree, the recording of the electricity measurement index is regulated based on the average electricity consumption amount registered in the electricity purchase and sale contract is as follows:
- Less than 50,000 kWh/month, recorded only once in a month;
- From 50,000 to 100,000 kWh/month, record the index twice a month;
- Over 100,000 kWh/month, record the three times a month.
In the case of the average actual electricity consumption of the buyer for non-residential purposes in the last three months exceeding or lower the corresponding consumption thresholds with the number of times the index is recorded in accordance with the provisions of the electricity seller and the electricity buyer has the right to negotiate to adjust the number of times the electricity meter is recorded.
For electricity buyers using less than 15 kWh/month, the cycle of recording the power measurement index is agreed by both parties.
Regarding the purchase and sale of electricity, the recording of the power measurement index is agreed upon by both parties in the contract. The electricity seller must ensure the accuracy of the recorded electric measuring index.
The Decree takes effect from February 8, 2025.
